Conclave 1559: Ippolito d'Este and the Papal Election of 1559

Intrigue, double-dealing and conspiracy in the Eternal City. 'A fascinating narrative of the intermingling of secular and religious power' New Statesman 'A highly enjoyable and thrilling read... Hollingsworth has peeled back the veil of secrecy surrounding papal conclaves' History Today 'Full of lively detail and colour' Literary Review August 1559. As the long hot Italian summer draws to its close, so does the life of a rigidly orthodox and profoundly unpopular pope. The papacy of Paul IV has seen the establishing of the Roman Inquisition and the Index of Prohibited Books, an unbending refusal to open dialogue with Protestants, and the ghettoization of Rome's Jews. On 5 September 1559, as the great doors of the Vatican's Sala Regia are ceremonially locked, the future of the Catholic Church hangs in the balance. Mary Hollingsworth offers a compelling and sedulously crafted reconstruction of the longest and most taxing of sixteenth-century papal elections. Its crisscrossing fault lines divided not only moderates from conservatives, but also the adherents of three national 'factions' with mutually incompatible interests. France and Spain were both looking to extend their power in Italy and beyond and had very different ideas of who the new pope should be – as did the Italian cardinals. Drawing on the detailed account books left by Ippolito d'Este, one of the participating cardinals, Conclave 1559 provides remarkable insights into the daily lives and concerns of the forty-seven men locked up for some four months in the Vatican. Conspiracy, Intrigue And Faction Fighting As The Future Of Europe Hangs In The Balance: Mary Hollingsworth Tells The Extraordinary Story Of The Papal Conclave In 1559 - The Longest And Bitterest Of The Sixteenth Century. Tasked With Choosing A Pontiff To Replace A Previous Incumbent (paul Iv) Whose Reign Was Marked By Repression And Brutality, And Faced With The Growing Challenge Of The Protestant Reformation, The Conclave Faced A Critically Important Decision For The Future Of The Roman Catholic Church, And Was Faction-ridden Even By The Standards Of Such Polarised Gatherings. France And Spain, Both Looking To Extend Their Power In Italy And Beyond, Had Very Different Ideas Of Who The New Pope Should Be, As Did The Italian Cardinals. Making Meticulous Use Of The Detailed Accounts Left By Ippolito D'este, One Of The Participating Cardinals (and The Son Of Lucrezia Borgia), Mary Hollingsworth Relates The Intrigue And Double-dealing Of The Different Parties Trying To Secure The Required Number Of Votes Over The Four Months Of This Lengthiest Of Sixteenth-century Papal Elections. Praise For The Medici: 'an Excellent Study Of The Medici ... A Careful, Understated Book ... [it] Is Never Short On Drama' Helen Castor, Telegraphbook Of The Year 'a Lucid And Beautifully Illustrated Family History. In Hollingsworth's Surefooted Telling, This Ruthless But Enlightened Family Were At Their Best When They Were True To The Florentine Motto Of 'profit And Honour'' Timesbook Of The Week 'a Beautifully Illustrated And Scholarly Survey Of Five Centuries Of The Medici Family' Literary Reviewon The Medici "August 1559. As the long hot Italian summer draws to its close, so does the life of a rigidly orthodox and profoundly unpopular pope. The harshly repressive papacy of Paul IV has seen the establishing of the Roman Inquisition and the Index of Prohibited Books, an unbending refusal to open dialogue with Protestants, and the ghettoization of Rome's Jews. On 5 September 1559, as the great doors of the Vatican's Sala Regia are ceremonially locked, the future of the Catholic Church and the whole of Europe hangs in the balance. This book offers a compelling and sedulously crafted reconstruction of the longest and most taxing of sixteenth-century papal elections. Its crisscrossing fault lines divided not only moderates from conservatives, but also the adherents of three national 'factions' with mutually incompatible interests. France and Spain were both looking to extend their power in Italy and beyond and had very different ideas of who the new pope should be, as did the Italian cardinals. Drawing on the detailed account books left by Ippolito d'Este, one of the participating cardinals, this book provides remarkable insights into the daily lives and concerns of the forty-seven men locked up for some four months in the Vatican"--Publisher's description. ## Intrigue, double-dealing and conspiracy in the Eternal City. 'A fascinating narrative of the intermingling of secular and religious power' New Statesman 'A highly enjoyable and thrilling read... Hollingsworth has peeled back the veil of secrecy surrounding papal conclaves' History Today 'Full of lively detail and colour' Literary Review Mary Hollingsworth offers a compelling and sedulously crafted reconstruction of the longest and most taxing of sixteenth-century papal elections. Its crisscrossing fault lines divided not only moderates from conservatives, but also the adherents of three national 'factions' with mutually incompatible interests. France and Spain were both looking to extend their power in Italy and beyond and had very different ideas of who the new pope should be – as did the Italian cardinals. Drawing on the detailed account books left by Ippolito d'Este, one of the participating cardinals, Conclave 1559 provides remarkable insights into the daily lives and concerns of the forty-seven men locked up for some four months in the Vatican.